EU to slash mobile roaming charges by up to 36% from July

The European Union (EU) has announced that mobile roaming charges will be cut during the summer by up to 36%, effective from July 1.

Following the cut, data roaming has become 91% cheaper in 2013 compared to 2007, according to the EU.

The 2007-2013 period, however, saw the volume of the data roaming market grow by 630%.

The cuts are said to be a part of European Commission VP Neelie Kroes’s plan to make the European telecommunications companies market more unified.

"The latest price cuts put more money in your pocket for summer, and are a critical step towards getting rid of these premiums once and for all," said Kroes.

"This is good for both consumers and companies, because it takes fear out of the market, and it grows the market."

Croatia, which will join the EU on July 1, is said to be a huge beneficiary as the use of Internet will be 15 times cheaper that it is now, while making a phone call to another country in the EU will be 10 times cheaper.

Beginning July 1, the cost of using the Internet while abroad falls to $0.45 per megabyte, down from $0.70.

Making calls will cost $0.24 per minute from $0.29, and receiving a call will reduce to $0.07 per minute from $0.08.

The cost of sending a SMS will fall to $0.24 from the current $0.29.

Making calls declines to 24 cents per minute from 29 cents, and receiving calls to 7 cents per minute from 8 cents.